


Arthur Is Quite The Cat

by cheesecloth



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 16:32:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3417710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheesecloth/pseuds/cheesecloth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a one-shot where, due to circumstances, Arthur sprouts some cat ears and a tail. On the mend to fix it, he learns new things about his manservant, Merlin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. This is so, so old. I wrote this like maybe a year ago in a notebook, and I just recently found it. I still love it, so I decided it was okay to post it. If that's alright with you Merthur fans?  
> I'm still very new to all this, so it's all a ONE-shot. And I tried to make it happy...okay?
> 
> Also, of course, this is a disclaimer: I do not own any bit of BBC's Merlin. This is a full-out disclaimer.

“Sire?” Gaius questioned the young king. “What do you suppose?”

 

“I suppose that I have been enchanted!” Arthur yelled irritably. “How could this have happened anyway?”

 

Gaius looked at his king. The blonde had two small and furry ears the size of a cat’s erecting out from his head. The king scrunched up his nose in disapproval at the staring. 

 

“I don’t understand, sire, the motives to enchant you with the ears of a cat...and the tail of one.” He added as he watched the blonde tail swish abjectly back and forth. 

 

It thumped repeatedly as it hit his bed-curtains beside him. 

 

“Well obviously they wanted to humiliate me!” Arthur’s eyes narrowed quaintly like a cat’s. 

 

“What would you have me do, sire?” The old physician sighed. 

 

“Find a cure, obviously!” The king pouted as angrily as he could.

 

“Of course sire.”

 

\---

 

“Merlin?”

 

Merlin heard his name called out by a disapproving voice that could only belong to Gaius. 

 

“Yes?” He answered nervously from his room.

 

Gaius opened the wooden and slightly creaking door to Merlin’s living space. 

 

“What did you do.” It wasn’t even a question. Merlin winced and looked shyly at his adoptive father of sorts; whom looked very suspicious. 

 

“It was an accident I swear!” Merlin blurted out. His lips still twitching from a fill hour of laughing his head off at a kitten-like!Arthur. Not to mention his sides hurt. 

 

“Explain.” Gaius frowned. 

 

“OK, OK. So I’ve been stalking this cat-”

 

“Why on earth were you stalking a cat?”

 

“I’m getting there, I’m getting there! So I stalked it because I felt somethin’ magical about it. Something tingly, y’know?.” 

 

Gaius nodded hesitantly.

 

“But as I followed it I realized it wasn’t a cat. It was an angry warlock stalking about!” Merlin exclaimed and Gaius started in bewildered surprise.

 

Merlin continued on,” The warlock had dark plans to hurt Arthur, which I figured out when he sneaked into Arthur’s room. He resumed his usual human appearance and we fought and stuff. And, uh, some of the spells flew about.” Merlin’s cheeks turned pink in abashment.

 

“And one of them hit Arthur?”

 

“Yes, but he was much worse off than he is now. He had whiskers and paws!” Merlin snorted in his amusement.

 

Gaius was quiet, but soon began to chuckle.

 

“You are indeed capable of changing him back to normal, yes?”

 

“Well, of course!”

 

“Merlin!” Gaius sounded like he was trying to look disapproving, but he couldn’t because he was too occupied with laughing.

 

\---

 

“Sire?” Merlin slipped into Arthur’s room quietly, in fear of startling the poor king. He froze, however, when he heard the growling of an animal nearby.

 

He jumped when he turned to see Arthur a few feet away with his tail lashing around behind him. 

 

“Don’t. You. Dare. Laugh.” The king’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

Merlin tried his best, but ended up having a fit of giggles.

 

“You have a tail!” He grinned. He attempting to hide this grin behind his hand but Arthur growled at him once more.

 

“Has Gaius said anything about a cure?” He slinked into one of his scarlet, velvet leather chairs, and joined his hands together; lifting them under his chin and glaring ferociously at Merlin.

 

Merlin decided to antagonize further with his king and simply shrugged.

 

As Arthur’s ears and tail hung low in defeated disappointment, Merlin began to proceed with his daily chores.

 

Arthur soon entally gave up and sighed despairingly as Merlin dressed him for the day.

 

“What’s the point? I’m not going out like this!”

 

“Oh, come on sire. Cheer up a bit!” Merlin bravely scratched at one of Arthur’s furry ears. Both of them stilled in surprise when a deep rumbling sound came from Arthur.

 

“Are you purring, sire?” Merlin laughed. Arthur turned slowly to glare at the young warlock intimidatingly.

 

“Oh admit it! You were purring!”

 

“.....”

 

“Ow!” Merlin rubbed his nose tenderly. Arthur, apparently, was holding a spoon he picked off from the nearby in-room breakfast table. He held the spoon threateningly like he would a sword.

 

“Merlin.” Arthur looked very grave.

 

Merlin scoffed. “You’re such a scaredy-cat.” He grinned. “Scared of a scratch behind your furry little ear.”

 

“Am not!” Arthur’s tail began to swish around in irritation.

 

“Are too!” Merlin laughed in his victory of patronizing his king. 

 

Stubborn and unable to live with this sort of defeat, Arthur challenged,” Fine! I bet I won’t purr!”

 

“So you admit to purring then?”

 

Arthur glared at his manservant, and one of his ears twitched. Merlin stepped forward cautiously and placed his right thumb behind Arthur’s right ear. The ear twitched but Arthur did not purr this time.

 

Accepting the challenge with an equal amount of stubbornness, Merlin became determined. 

 

“Purr you prat.” Merlin muttered, and Arthur snorted.

 

Merlin looked down suddenly to see Arthur’s tail curl around the chair’s leg. He chuckled, realizing Arthur must soon be close to purring, and defeat. 

 

Upon further observation, Merlin realized that Arthur seemed much more calm. Merlin decided to alter his technique. He massaged the base of both of Arthur’s furry ears, and soon heard loud purring from Arthur.

 

Just as Merlin began to mock in victory, Arthur’s tail lashed out and decidedly curled around one of Merlin’s legs. Merlin couldn’t help his gasp in shock.

 

He stared down the pleasantly cream-colored tail, and then shyly peered back up at Arthur. 

 

Arthur was staring at him unnervingly with disapproval. 

 

“You’re going to stop?” His bright blue eyes narrowed.

 

“N-no.” Merlin’s words stumbled. “I, uh, told you that you would purr…” One of his thumbs rubbed slowly on one of Arthur’s furry ears and Arthur immediately closed his eyes in content bliss and decided not to reply.

 

The purring roared in volume, and Arthur started to rub his blonde head into Merlin’s hand  
affectionately. 

 

Merlin watched this in delighted awe.

 

“Are you sure you haven’t really become a cat?” Merlin’s voice came out weakly.

 

“I don’t even know how I came to be like this.” Arthur confessed softly. When he opened his eyes, all breath left Merlin. His eyes were dark, and Merlin could just barely see the slight ring of blue.

 

Merlin soon found that he and Arthur had been staring into each other’s eyes. Minutes had passed. Merlin wanted to see the carelessly blissed expression of Arthur’s again, so he caressed the furry ears once more.

 

“Melin.” Arthur practically moaned.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Mmm, nothing.” Arthur’s eyes closed again. The tail at Merlin’s leg curled tighter and Merlin found that his heart was soaring, and he felt lighter than a feather.

 

Arthur’s eyelids fluttered open then. “I can hear that.” He whispered.

 

“H-hear what?” 

 

“Your heart. It sounds...quite like music.”

 

“My heartbeat is...music to your ears?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well you are indeed a cat.” Merlin laughed softly. His fingers smoothed through Arthur’s soft, golden hair. Arthur stared at the warlock as if in a new light.

 

“...Merlin…”

 

“Yes?” Merlin asked calmly.

 

“Why did your eyes shine gold?” Arthur’s head tilted, and his eyes narrowed.

 

Merlin felt his heart drop, and he was no longer calm. “P-perhaps it is the lighting?”

 

“Oh, no, I do not think it is the lighting.”

 

They were quiet for a long, panic-worn moment. Merlin is sure that Arthur must know something. The king was, in fact, eyeing him quite suspiciously. 

 

Yet his tail was still snuggling Merlin’s leg. 

 

“Merlin?” 

 

“Yes?” Merlin cringed, waiting for the announcement of his execution.

 

“You’re an idiot.”

 

Merlin blinked in surprise as he stared at Arthur.

 

“W-what?”

 

“You’re an idiot. But I’m an idiot to.” Arthur chuckled to himself. “It actually makes quite a lot of sense now.”

 

“What makes sense now?” 

 

“The reason I haven’t died yet. To tell you the truth, I always believed that there were plenty of scenarios in which I should have died. I even confessed to my father once about how I may or may not have someone watching over me. He said I must’ve had a guardian angel.”

 

Merlin gaped at him, and Arthur continued.

 

“Now it’s still hard for me to believe exactly that you’re a sorcerer, but truly, you are my most loyal friend.” 

 

Merlin felt a rush of warmth and relief. He bowed his head slightly to Arthur, feeling utmost honored and more than a little grateful that his friend did not completely panic and sentence him to death. 

 

“But Merlin,” Arthur said, “you are not just an idiot, but an asshole as well.” He growled. “You could have vanished these blasted ears and tail, couldn’t you!?”

 

Merlin suddenly couldn’t contain his grin. The king had his answer then, and punishingly hit Merlin with a spoon again.

 

“Ow!” Merlin squealed, but he was still smiling.

 

Yet he couldn’t help but wonder.

 

“Sire. You’re not going to execute me?” Merlin asked once he gathered his courage.

 

“What ever for, Merlin?”

 

“It’s just that-”

 

“You have magic?” Arthur interrupted. “Yes, you have magic Merlin. Yes, you’re a warlock. But you’re the kindest one I have ever met. Plus you haven’t once tried to kill me.”

 

“Actually-”

 

“Don’t push it Merlin.”

 

\---

Arthur’s ears twitched towards the large wood door, and he straightened with renewed alertness. 

Gaius entered the room after knocking, and procured a vial filled with a strange blue liquid.

 

“I have the cure, sire.” The old physician stated.

 

“Does it taste terribly?” Arthur asked cautiously.

 

“I haven’t quite tasted it myself, m’lord.”

“Then I won’t take it.”

 

Gaius stared at Arthur in remote surprise. “I will try it then, sire-”

 

“I don’t need it.” Arthur looked to Merlin, who had a guilty but amused expression.

 

Gaius looked between the two of them, and his voice rang with panic,” What do you mean to say, sire?”

 

\---

 

“Merlin obviously caused it. So he’s going to undo it.” Arthur’s ears flattened in displeasure.

 

“A-and how has Merlin-”

 

“He knows, Gaius.” Merlin apologized silently when the old man’s face blanched in horror.

 

“Oh don’t worry Gaius; I’m not going to execute him.”

 

Gaius visibly expressed his relief. “He’s trouble, that boy is.”

 

“I know that quite personally.” Arthur laughed and Gaius joined him. Merlin pouted at the both of them. Making a show of his expression.

 

“Alright, I’ll fix it.” Merlin sighed. “Though it was quite nice when you weren’t badgering me because you were too busy purring.”

 

Arthur glared at him but all three of them were quiet as Merlin began to concentrate. 

 

His eyes glowed as he muttered in an old language. Arthur couldn’t help but stare at the glowing eyes of Merlin’s, even whilst he felt the tail and ears vanish.

 

“Oh, I’ve got so many questions for you, Merlin.”

 

Merlin looked a little weary, but happy all the same. The crushing weight of his favorite king never knowing of the burden he held vanished along with Arthur’s cat features.

 

Gaius straightened himself. “Well, I’ll take my leave now.”

 

\---

 

“And, well, you never actually killed Kilgharrah. You know, that dragon.”

 

“What!” Arthur exclaimed. “I fatally wounded the beast!”

 

“Well, actually, you didn’t. A dragon’s heart is on it’s right side. I drove him away.”

 

“You...ugh!” Arthur voiced his frustration, but soon began to laugh.

 

“You drove him away? How?”

 

“I, um, well...I sort of just told him to leave.”

 

“You just...told him to leave? Merlin. You’re incredible!” Arthur’s jewel-like, blue eyes were bright with his delight in these stories and explanations. 

 

Despite his affliction being gone after Merlin amended Arthur’s cat-related problem, and despite Arthur’s own duties unfinished and awaiting him, Arthur remained with his magical manservant. 

If he still had a tail, Merlin was sure it would be cuddling and curling around Merlin again. Merlin’s cheeks were flushed with humbled pleasure from all the praise that Arthur was uncharacteristically unleashing on him. Arthur found this alluring. 

 

“Well I must have gotten that spell wrong, if you’re calling me incredible.” Merlin laughed with cheer. 

 

Arthur didn’t respond in favor of smiling affectionately at his manservant.

 

“Uh-oh.” Merlin said suddenly.

 

“What?” Arthur became more alert.

 

“Your meeting today!”

 

“Oh!”

 

Merlin aided Arthur with his boots and searching for important scrolls.

 

Just as they were about to leave one another; Merlin to his other chores, and Arthur to his meeting, Arthur pulled Merlin into a tight embrace.

 

They relaxed significantly into each other, and pulled apart a small length from one another.

 

Arthur’s eyes suddenly zeroed-in on Merlin’s chapped lips, which were curved into a smile. 

 

They couldn’t for the life of them figure out who kissed who first, but they soon pulled apart. They stared at each other in surprise, and Merlin pulled back into another kiss desperately, in fear that this anomaly would never occur again. 

 

Arthur cradled the back of Merlin’s silky, coal-colored hair with one hand and held firmly to Merlin’s waist with the other.

 

Merlin moaned in content, and Arthur reluctantly pulled them apart. 

 

The each spent a moment to regain their breath.

 

“Merlin, I…” Arthur paused, unsure what to say. 

 

“Your meeting, Arthur!”

 

“Oh, yes! I forgot!” Arthur felt his cheeks burn red and saw that Merlin was in a similar state. 

 

Arthur felt a swell of affection in him, and bravely pecked a small, chaste kiss upon Merlin’s lips, albeit a little shyly, before rushing off to the throne room. 

 

\---

 

“He kissed me!” Merlin exclaimed to himself excitedly.

 

This very thought distracted him for the next few hours that seemed to be filled with endless chores.

 

He had just finished washing himself after mucking the stables when Gwen stopped by. 

 

“Merlin! Arthur called for a public meeting in the throne room! He sent me to call for you. As well as a few nobles around the castle.”

“Another meeting?” Merlin asked curiously.

 

“Yes, and it sounds very important. The law-men are going to be present.” 

 

“He’s making his first law as king, isn’t he?” Merlin was filled with excitement now. “I’ll be there for sure!”

 

When Merlin arrived to the throne room, he found that it was packed with numerous amounts of people. This included civilians. 

 

He squeezed through until he found a place to stand by Gaius. He nodded in appreciation that the old physician would save a spot for him, and Gaius returned this with a fond smile.

 

Merlin peered up to the high throne. He saw Arthur there, sitting calmly and patiently. With the rays of clean light seeping through the high windows to his right, Arthur looked like the sun. He was so bright and golden that Merlin had to look away for a moment. 

 

Arthur’s eyes scanned the growing crowd and soon found Merlin’s green eyes. 

 

Merlin marveled at Arthur’s gorgeous smile. His stomach seemed to flutter with what felt like butterflies. He knew his heart skipped a beat, and Merlin thought that were it to ever stop, it would be the gorgeous king Arthur’s fault, along with that golden smile of his. 

 

When everyone in the room settled and quieted, Arthur stood from the throne. He stretched his hand to the law-man beside him, who looked completely shaken by the scroll that he then handed to the king. 

 

Merlin and the rest of the room wondered just what in that scroll made the man so shaken. 

 

The king began to say. “Citizens of Camelot.” In front of him was a small table, which he walked towards. “As Arthur, crowned king of Camelot, I have called upon you all here to witness this new law. As tradition allows it, one nobleman from the first family to be created noble by my father, shall stand here to read to you today that is in this scroll.” The king folded the scroll and held it into the air for all to see. 

 

He then turned to his right and beckoned an old man. The old man in very expensive scarlet robes strolled towards the king hesitantly, and retrieved the scroll. 

 

“Please read it aloud, Barnabas.” Arthur said.

 

Barnabas nodded in humbled honor, and unfurled the folded parchment. 

 

“His majesty, the king of the land of Camelot, declares that-” The nobleman paused. His eyes looked as though they would bulge from his head.

 

Merlin curiously glanced at Arthur, who was smirking in his direction. 

 

“Please continue.”

The whole room was dead silent in their anticipation.

 

“Declares...declares that magic shall no longer be banned in these lands, and shall hereby be legal within Camelot.” Barnabas said in a rush. There was soon a loud burst of conversation all around Merlin and throughout the throne room.

 

Merlin felt like his heart would burst. His beloved king locked his eyes with his manservant and smiled that golden smile of his. 

 

Merlin felt that he might faint, but the excitement wasn’t over quite yet. Arthur held one hand up and the room became silent after a moment.

“Continue.”

 

Barnabas looked startled and turned his attention back to the parchment. “H-however, any magic used with evil intentions shall be reported back to the king himself, who, himself alone, shall bring upon judgement.” Merlin felt himself nodding in his respect of this decision. “But such judgments,” Barnabas continued,” shall be aided by the king’s advisor and the...the court sorcerer. Both titles are hereby appointed to his formal...manservant Merlin…”

 

Merlin stared at his king in utter surprise. Everyone around Merlin stared at him in confusion and bewilderment. He heard murmuring.

 

“He’s a sorcerer? Him?” The voices around him whispered.

 

\---

 

“I’m your advisor, now?” Merlin asked, perplexed. “And a court sorcerer?”

 

“Why yes, Merlin. I didn’t want the risk for you to get hurt. If you were still my manservant, they would think you were controlling me. But there, in the throne room, they all saw your reaction to your new title themselves. Those that are smart enough would realize I made the decision on my own.” Arthur said. Merlin gaped at him. 

 

“Well, at least I know I no longer have to do chores.” Merlin said once he got over the initial shock. 

 

“If anything, you have more. I’m not assigning a new manservant! That’s preposterous!” 

 

“But you just-” Merlin was indignant.

 

“Merlin. You have magic. You can do them all within an hour if you wanted to, with the stories you’ve told me.” The golden king inched toward his warlock.

 

“Fine.” Merlin pouted. Arthur’s eyebrows raised at how adorable his warlock was and rested his head against Merlin’s. 

 

“I don’t know why I’m not scared of this. Us. If anything, I’m relieved.” Arthur confessed. “We’re like...two sides of the same coin!” He marvelled at his own analogy. 

 

Merlin raised one eyebrow. “That’s not the first time I heard that.

 

“Oh bollocks. I don’t care! You’re mine!” Arthur growled and placed his hands on Merlin’s waist, pulling him closer. 

“I think you’re still a cat, Arthur.” Merlin grinned and pulled lightly at Arthur’s hair. 

Arthur merely growled again, and pulled Merlin in for a sloppy yet hungry kiss.


	2. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a cheesy epilogue with details of everything afterwards. Again, disclaimers!!!

Merlin was obviously male. Many thought he could bear no heir for the king. They were wrong, of course.

Merlin seeked Kilgharrah, who was more than exasperated, for a spell that would temporarily turn him female.

Arthur was ecstatic when he learned Merlin was now capable of bearing children.

A little too ecstatic, perhaps.

The two married and had twins. One girl, and one boy. They also had one more boy and two girls. 

The five children were adored by all of Camelot, once the initial shock of the 1st law was over. 

No one had been executed for the next twenty years. Peace lasted for over five centuries or so. 

Morgana ended up despising Arthur for the rest of her life, along with Merlin, but she found peace with the druids, of whom took her in.

Mordred became a knight, and a happy one at that.

Merlin and Arthur died at a very old age. No extended life of grief for Merlin. The world was not that cruel. 

Gwen had certainly found love once more, but with Sir Leon. To which they bore two daughters.

Gwen's brother Elyan found a love with Percy, since they were obviously into one another.

And the once and future king, Arthur, had united Albion, and the prophecies were fulfilled.

THE END  
(And the beginning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheesy? CHECK.  
> Happy? (Comment so I can know!)
> 
> :D

**Author's Note:**

> I really hoped you all enjoyed this. Please comment, if you'd like of course, on any mistake this might have, or criticism, or etc.
> 
> Love you guys!


End file.
